‘Follow me!’
The senior student shoved into the crowd, producing a stick out of his belt, and prodded people with glee. The cousins passed through the narrow gap of parting people amidst stares and glares. Some flashed secret smiles at them, and here and there subtle gestures of encouragement, appeared and disappeared quickly, lest the person doing it get spotted. Equally on display for all too see, others gave them signs of death and doom; slit throats, thumbs down, fists and barrages of abuse.
Pushing through, the cousins reached the amphitheatre. A vast sheen of green-tinged water, rippled by a small breeze from the south, spread before them. In the distance they could see a narrow passage out onto the lake, its waters mingling with the water in the amphitheatre.
Twenty four large, old-fashioned, sailing ships floated underneath the Head Discipliner’s office. Badly made out of scraps of wood, with poorly erected masts, they bobbed up and down lacking stability. Above the noise of the teeming crowd, wood rubbed against wood, groaning and creaking. Ropes slapped against the sides of the ships, adding a haphazard beat to the sound of the sails fluttering in the zephyr, bullying their buoyancy.
They looked as if they might fall to pieces any minute, except for one; a sleek, black, ship, the likes of which had never been seen in New Wakefield for time beyond memory. It sat at the end of the row, gleaming. Its mast held straight, and webbings and coloured flags streamed off it. A large banner fluttered from it, bearing Jerkin Bod’armor’s family crest, four acorns.
‘Please tell us that is our ship,’ Ari said, eyeing it with mouth-watering envy.
‘I think that is Jerky’s ship,’ Quixote said.
The senior student stopped by the most dilapidated ship on the water. The wood nailed on the side of it looked rough and still had bark on it in places. The rope ladder leading to its deck was tied on by tape, and had string and nails hanging off it. The mast had hundreds of ropes hanging off it with a single bed sheet tacked along it. It swayed in the light breeze, causing some of the ropes to tighten, and the opposing ones to slacken. It rocked the boat in the light rippling water, making it bob side to side more than the other boats.
‘This is a piece of junk,’ Lexington said.
Melaleuca grabbed her hand. ‘Yes but no one else has the bracelets.’
Lexington shook her head. Up close the ships all looked like tormented creatures, creaking and aching, patched up and ready to scream in pain.
Sah Task-Master Carrion appeared at his jutting out office, raising his arms, and hushing the crowd. Beside him the High Overlord Sector stood, as did the new Overlord Ramathor, Daquan.
‘Competitors, board your ships,’ he cried out. ‘You have five minutes to take up your positions. At the first horn you shall move your ship into the middle of the lake. At the sound of the second horn you shall commence battling. May the best ship...ah I mean, crew win.’
The crowd replied with a thunderous roar and a deafening cheer, followed by cries for blood.
As the cousins climbed aboard their unsteady ship, one of the competitors, a solid looking girl, sprinted from ship to ship yelling something to the crews. When she got to the ship next to them they heard her yell, ‘Let’s all immediately attack Jerkin’s ship. It is the only chance any of us will have at winning. If we don’t, then we will all die for certain.’
The solid looking girl ran to the cousins’ ship and started to yell the same message to them, but upon seeing who they were, shook her head at them, making a cutting of the throat gesture, and ran on to the next ship.
‘Ignore her,’ Melaleuca said.
The four cousins roamed over the deck of the ship checking it out and tripping over the poor workmanship. Planks had been butted together unevenly, some even stuck up. Large chunks of timber had been nailed down, creating a lip over which feet could trip. At the front of the ship, and the aft where raised decks should have been, boxes were nailed down with slats of timber thrown across them and lashed loosely on.
Melaleuca tilted to her left to maintain her balance as the mast toppled back and forth.
‘Go below Ari and see what there is.’
Ari dropped below deck and saw nothing other than the hull of the ship and gallons of tar poured everywhere sealing it off, though great gaps were evident.
‘Well? How is it?’ Melaleuca yelled out. She held on to one of the loose ropes, and in her other hand she steadied Lexington.
‘Ahh perfect, great, all fine,’ Ari called back. ‘Nothing really down here. Just empty space.’
‘Look what I found,’ Quixote cried out, his voice nearly drowned by another roar from the crowd. He held up an arm full of swords, clubs and some bows. ‘These will work in well.’
‘Good,’ Melaleuca said. ‘Put them on the deck where we can get them. Go below and do what you have to do. Quickly now before we have to set sail.’
He leapt down below, landing with a loud thunk, making the ship roll a little more, and then disappeared all together.
‘I’m back,’ Quixote yelled out.
Melaleuca poked her head down below. Quixote had four rucksacks packed tight with costumes.
‘Okay. Leave them there until we get out into the middle of the lake.’
Melaleuca pulled her head up, but then put it back down straight away. ‘Now Quixote, you have left the pirate costume behind eh?’
‘Yeahhhh,’ he said disappointed.
‘And you are happy wearing a ship builder’s costume and repairing the ship when it gets damaged?’
‘Yessss!’ he said sounding unhappy.
On top Melaleuca nodded at Ari, who then slipped below deck as well.
‘Quixote. I have forgotten something. Lend me the wing boots so I can race back and get it.’
‘Tell me what it is. I’ll get it.’
‘Would take too long for me to explain.’
Quixote handed him the boots and Ari disappeared.
The horn blew and the ships released their moorings. They all floated and bobbed about as crew after crew fluffed around with their sails trying to catch some wind. All except Jerkin’s ship, which seemed to catch the wind immediately and head out into the middle of the lake. Watching his ship surge forward made the crowd gasp and the other crews panic.
The cousins tugged on the ropes but found none of them moved the sail. They only moved the mast, though the sail did jiggle somewhat. Melaleuca rolled the massive steering wheel from side to side, though the ship still sat there.
Lexington leant against the mast, deflated.
‘What now? If we don’t join them we shall be sitting ducks when the horn blows!’
‘Where’s Ari?’ Melaleuca said to herself.
‘Down here,’ he yelled back. ‘All set when you are.’
‘Okay. Now we just need to make this ship move,’ she yelled back.
Howls of scornful laughter poured out from the crowd as the unmoving ship of the cousins, looking like a bath-tub crossed with a barge, sat there, going nowhere, confirming in the crowd’s minds that the cousins were, in fact, a joke.
***
Aunty Gertrude sat hidden in one of the offices of the Vahn, staring out the window, her heart sinking, thinking of her fate as the ship she really wanted destroyed sat not moving. Her twin desires for them to both win and lose ravaged her. She knew either way she would feel a deep sense of loss.
***
Against Uncle Bear-Nard’s advice Argus snuck into town. Hidden by the sheer number of people, he wended his way through the crowd, watching after the cousins, wanting to be aboard the ship as well. He reached into a bag slung over his shoulder, and fiddled with the video recording device he had in it. He needed to get somewhere where he could film the event.
***
Quixote dived into the open hatch and threw on his speed boots and the acrobatic costume, then pulled a small black pennant out of his bag. At speed faster than the human eye, but at normal speed to Quixote, he scaled the mast and attached the black pennant,
unfurling it, and then dropped down into the hatch again. Unnoticed by the crowd, a black flag appeared on the top of the mast, complete with skull and cross bones on it.
‘That was not in the plan, Quixote,’ Melaleuca said gritting her teeth. She pulled on the wheel hoping the rudder would catch one of the other ships outgoing wakes. Nothing happened. She turned the wheel again, tugged it, pushed it; still nothing happened.
Quixote came up beside Melaleuca.
‘We have to name her,’ he said.
‘Name who?’
‘The ship! I read it in a book once. Every ship needs a name.’
Hearing the conversation, Lexington shouted out, ‘Karena. The ships name is Karena.’
‘Done,’ Melaleuca said and with urgency added, ‘Karena, let’s go.’
Like a tow cable had been attached, the front part of the ship turned, dragging itself around. Not questioning why, Melaleuca yelled out, ‘Full steam ahead.’
Despite its clumsy design, Karena ploughed through the water at the same speed as Jerkin’s ship.
The crowd hushed, stunned by this sudden change of events, all laughter ebbing away. Sah Task-Master Carrion’s jaws dropped, as did Aunty Gertrude’s.
Lexington gripped the side of one of the slip-shod railings.
‘Whoa! How are you doing that?’
‘Don’t know, but I think with that flag and the name she responds to my thoughts and commands…..Quixote, where’d you get it?’
‘From the attic. I thought it would look fancy.’
They closed in on the other ships and despite looking like a floating brick stopped smoothly and quickly besides them. The other crews stared at them in wonderment.
The crowd surged out from around the Amphitheatre to take up viewing positions around the lake.
Tension mounted in the crowd and even Daquan’s face held a pensive look as he, like everyone else, realized that Jerkin’s ship seemed goliath-like compared to the others, but that some strange power had befallen the cousin’s ship.
The horn sounded and everything swung into action.
‘Go!’ Melaleuca yelled.
All the other ships started to head for Jerkin’s ship, which fled fast to the other side of the lake. The four cousins dived into the hull and pulled on their various costumes. Melaleuca emerged, dressed as a naval captain with a cloth bag over her head disguising her face. Holes for the eyes and nose and mouth had been cut out of it. Over top she wore her brown Vahn uniform. Lexington hopped back on deck dressed as a Chinese philosopher, though sported a sea faring jacket over it, and of course a cloth bag over her head with holes and with her brown Vahn uniform over top. Both Ari and Quixote emerged dressed in ship builders’ clothes, heads bagged and all, though Quixote’s body language suggested he was none too happy about the choice. Over top they had their Vahn clothes.
Melaleuca positioned herself at the wheel.
‘Man your stations. Evasive action until we and Jerkin are the last ships left on this lake.’
The crowd, still able to see the lone Karena, could barely make out the cousins on the deck. Just in case they could, Lexington, Ari and Quixote quickly erected a fine mesh net around the ship’s sail, attaching it front to back.
On the far side of the lake, nearest the Southern Hills, Jerkin's ship halted and swung side on. The hatches on the side opened and ten, thick, metal tubes protruded out. Though the sailing ships heading for him struggled to catch up, the competitors froze at the sight of the canons. Shouting, screaming, and yelling sounded out, evaporating their teamwork and they scrambled to turn their ships around.
BOOOOOMM!! BOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!! BOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!! BOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!! BOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!! BOOOOMM!!!
Jerkin’s ten cannons roared ear splitting explosions into the air, one after the other, sending cannon balls hurtling toward the panicking ships. Five of them bore the brunt of the volley; their masts falling and the sides of the ships shattering into shards of splintered wood. The rest fled left and right, scattering like startled pigeons.
The crowd screamed foul while others cheered. A massive uproar followed, with people yelling out to the High Overlord to stop the competition. He ignored the cries and continued watching.
‘Hold steady,’ Melaleuca cried. She had discovered that Karena responded to her slightest thought.
Lexington sat on the fore deck, while the two boys hung by the sides.
From the middle of the lake they watched as the remaining 17 ships scattered and headed toward them.
Quixote picked up a sword.
‘Shall we try taking out some of the other ships?’
‘Stick to the plan,’ Melaleuca cried back. ‘Evade, evade, evade.’
Ari studied the gleaming cannons.
‘Those canons look real challenging to evade.’
Another volley ripped out from Jerkin's ship and two more ships broke in half.
‘Use the other ships as cover,’ Ari yelled out.
Melaleuca turned the Karena toward the fleeing vessels and headed toward them.
The fleeing ships regrouped and yelled to one another. Five of them broke away and tried to out flank Jerkin from both sides, while the others carried on fleeing toward the Karena. Within minutes, three ships bore down on Jerkin from his starboard side while two more ships sailed at him from his port side.
‘Idiots,’ Ari said. ‘They are sailing straight onto his guns.’
Both sides of Jerkin's ship roared with the sound of twenty cannons firing at once. Smoke emanated, lifting a large cloud into the air and covered the scene in thin wisps, making it hard to see. Wood smashing and creaking, bending and splintering followed by yelling and screaming could be heard coming from the smoke.
Melaleuca steered the Karena at a fleeing boat, turning at the last minute to bring them up alongside it. Scared looking seniors confused by all the gunfire huddled aboard it. Seeing the cousins they panicked, and started trying to sail away but could not shake the Karena off them. Frustrated, the scared crew stopped their ship.
Jerkins guns fired again, followed by more smoke and more smashing-crashing sounds and yelling. The guns fired again and again and again, aiming at nothing in particular, followed by no smashing sound, though the lake started to fill up with the smell of acrid gun smoke and dense clouds, reducing visibility.
‘Get away from us,’ yelled someone from the other ship Melaleuca stuck to. It was the voice of the solid girl that had incited the other ships to attack Jerkin.
‘All’s fair,’ Ari cried back.
Someone else on the ship yelled out, ‘If you have a secret weapon, use it now and save us all.’
They could hear the crew talking amongst themselves, something about sailing to the other side of the lake and fleeing.
Like a wound up toy dying to let rip, Quixote bounced up and down in one spot.
Two more ships appeared out of the smoke haze screaming death chants. ‘Let us sink one before we go down. Glory and death! Yaaaaaa!’ The two ships headed for the Karena from different sides.
‘Prepare for impact,’ Ari yelled.
The Karena shuddered as the two ships smashed into it, jarring the ship and sending the cousins sprawling on to the deck. Both attacking ships brow’s caused little damage to the Karena.
Melaleuca swept her eyes over her cousins and then at the two ships smashed up beside them. At both foredecks of the attacking ships menacing looking seniors gathered, clubs and swords in hands.
‘Prepare to be boarded,’ Melaleuca yelled.
Quixote dived into the hatch.
A noise like a growling bear boomed out of the hull of the Karena, menacing enough for both of the attacking crews to stop dead in their tracks.
A large pirate leapt out of the Karena’s hatch, hair aflame with fire, face contorted in an evil scowl, and eyes ablazing with murderous intent.
‘OOOOHHH YYYEEEEAAAARRRGGHHHH. CALL THAT A BOARDING PARTY!!’
In one wild leap he cleared their deck, and
landed on the port side behind the invading crew, and stood towering over them.
Quixote pulled two rusty-looking swords out from his ripped swathes of jackets. ‘This ‘ere ain’t rust! It's crusted blood. I'm gonna add yours to it.’
The seniors screamed as Quixote lashed out with both blades, swinging wildly like a madman. They all jumped into the water.
‘Come back you cowards and fight.’
The other crew stood, stunned, looking across the Karena through the wafting smoke to the hideous pirate.
Quixote yanked a piece of fire off his hair and threw it down on the deck. The deck exploded, blasting him flying over the Karena and landing on the deck of the second attacking ship. He threw the crew off, kicking each one in the backside and yelling out a loud victorious battle cry.
Ari waved frantically to Quixote to come back, fearing that if he yelled out Quixote’s name, others would know for sure who the pirate was.
‘Stand ye ground,’ Quixote yelled to them, ‘I am commandeering this ship.’
Before his cousins could intervene, Quixote hauled the captured ship about and sailed it into the middle of the billowing clouds of smoke.
‘Now?’ Lexington asked.
‘Yes now,’ Melaleuca said.
Both Ari and Lexington raced below and soon appeared with a dummy dressed in Quixote's clothes and with a face fashioned like his. They stuck it next to Melaleuca to make it look like all the cousins were still there.
‘That was brilliant planning on your part Mel,’ Ari said.
‘It really was obvious,’ Lexington said. ‘There was just no way Quixote would be able to control himself for this long.’
A cry of “Marauder,” shrieked from the crowd as Quixote broke out of the cloudy haze, and sailed his ship close to the perimeter of the lake, waving his sword and threatening everyone. He threw bits of his flaming hair into the crowd sending bursts of light flashing and fireworks screeching into the sky.
Vahn and the Bold Extraction, The Page 18